


The Idea of Isles

by Effenay



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Class Differences, F/M, Fantasy, Fish out of Water, I'm Bad At Summaries, Masks, May Or May Not Be Continued, Melancholy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-11
Updated: 2017-03-11
Packaged: 2018-10-02 13:58:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10219769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Effenay/pseuds/Effenay
Summary: After the death of the woman he loves, Dalton questions his position as a high noble of the country.Isles, a girl from the Northern Realms finds herself falling into the sea of a world unknown to her eyes.Boötes, a man who's blood lineage turns him into a wish-granting, colossal bird known as "the Night-Flier" accidentally grants Isles's thoughtless wish and transports her into a world where nobles don masks before the commoners.The three of them find themselves tied to each other's fates as they try to find a way to go back to their respective places.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Long story short, this was written in my last year of high school and haven't been able to touch on this since who knows how long. I just thought I that since chances are people won't really care so much about original stuff, I'll just push this one out there into the vast sea of the net and see how many hits I'l get.

_I look at those eyes and wonder, how much do we need? How much do I know about the one who stands before me? For her to confess before me, only to be shot in the back; just how do I know of her?_

* * *

 

It was a given that he had survived the last fall out. Surely, he has not realised as to why she stood before him. No one was ever certain as to why all these events had occurred. _If I had died that day,_ he thought beforehand, _would she have survived?_ Dalton asked himself in remorse. He was far too troubled to even fathom what was going on ahead of him.

A gust of wind blew his hat from his head. In response, Dalton could only watch it fly away from him in a nonchalant state. _The price of that might have been steep,_ Dalton sighed, _but I guess this is what you call “depression”?_ Depression or not, Dalton felt the urge to plunge himself into the sea below him. The aircraft was at least 50 meters above the vast ocean; it was enough for him to consider taking a dive into the unknown. The thought of death never occurred to him, however, Dalton have always had a strange idea of coming back to life as soon as he would take his own life; believing that he could start anew with the people he love.

“Dalton,” Carbec tugged him by the sleeve. “Master Dalton, isn’t it about time you should get yourself a new wife?”

Dalton scoffed, “What for? You make it sound like I was married at all.”

“That woman was going to marry you,” Carbec insisted. “I think it is easier for you to get a new woman.”

“Women are not property,” Dalton grumbled. “You can’t just buy one like a ceramic doll in one of those shops that Aila would often leer herself into.”

“I do not leer,” Aila pouted, “I only look; is it that so wrong to you?”

Dalton shrugged and stared at Aila, whose face was covered with a visard.

“Is it a little too much?” Dalton asked Aila. “Isn’t it a little too much for you to wear that in the public?”

“I should say the same to you,” the girl said with a _humph,_ “What difference does it make for all of us to wear these masks in the face of the public? Reputations require upholding an image before the people.”

“I should say that it was a given that we wear these things,” Carbec pointed to his half mask that covered one quarter of his face, “It gives us more freedom when we show our true faces when the time comes.”

Dalton, who wore the upper half of a bauta mask, cleared his throat. “I suppose there is some truth to that.”

In truth, Dalton couldn’t agree more than what Carbec had to say.  Dalton recalled the many times when he would meet Rossette in secret, revealing his face before the public as though he was one of them. Dalton would often feel proud of himself as to break the rules of society’s laws. Yet, his fears remained whether his actions were to be blamed for Rose’s death.

“What a shame,” Aila sighed, “You wasted enough money to let it fly away from your head.”

“My hat is less important than my head,” Dalton pointed to the crown of his head.

“That sort of attitude would prove a point,” Aila pointed, “wasting things will only put our reputation to lower grade.”

“Ah, but the lower class themselves would do the same if they worked their way to the top,” Dalton sneered at Aila’s words, “One cannot simply understand till they have gone through it before.”

Aila spun around and walked away from Dalton. Based on his experience with Aila, Dalton presumed that the preteen would be sulking at that point.

“Aila, where are you going?” Carbec asked hollowly.

“I am retreating to my quarters,” Aila answered sharply.

“Her loss,” Dalton shrugged.

Carbec shot a slightly disgusted look at Dalton. “I half-expected you to say that,” Carbec said with a frown.

“I don’t like tolerating people whose lives are solely based on ‘reputation’,“ Dalton answered in glum honesty, “The things that the world has been teaching her; I cannot believe she is actually taking every cent of it.”

“She has always been a sly girl from the start,” Carbec admitted, “But it is the only way to survive in a society such as this. What she is doing is just her survival instinct to go with the flow of what society demands.”

“A pleaser,” Dalton bluntly pointed out, “I know that already.”

Carbec sighed, “I understand how much Madame Rossette means to you, but please, Dalton. You have to come back to us. You have a life to fulfil.”

“…But Rose did not,” Dalton concluded mercilessly. With that said, Dalton left Carbec without a second thought.

 _I know what you are trying to say, Carbec,_ Dalton said in his thoughts; _it has been three years now. But I wish you could understand what it is like to have everything that the one you love could not have. How do you know what it feels like?_

Dalton stopped and shook his head. _No,_ he resisted, _at this point, I won’t be able to understand what it is that I have to do here._

_After all, this will be my last job to do._


	2. Chapter 2

_It felt as though the world I knew no longer existed; as though it were only a dream. What I said was not a real wish, only a consideration. I never knew that such a careless request could blow everything out of proportion._

Iles tried several attempts to grasp anything that she could get a hold of. _No!_ She panicked, _No, I refuse to accept this!_

It was as though a terrible gust of wind had rammed her into thin air, Iles could not make any sense of what was going on. _Why,_ Iles panicked further, _why is this happening?!_

Instinctively, she shrieked as she felt the gravity pulling her down into the unknown. Iles cocked her head to the side, only to see a body of water to fall back to. Despite the darkness of the night, Iles distinguished the shimmering lights as the reflection of the moonlight and the stars that had shone through.

“No way…” Iles gasped, “How-?!”

****

Dalton nodded off at the side of balcony, his hair ruffled by the cold night. Due to the chill from the night air, he sneezed. The man looked from side to side and gave out a sigh of relief as he tightened his grip on the railing.

“Rose,” Dalton whispered, “Why now? Why did you send me here?”

 _“It is only one request,”_ the man would imagine his fiancés to respond. _“Do it for me, please.”_

Dalton turned his head from side to side once more, making sure that there was no one around to see him. _It is silly;_ Dalton muttered in his mind, _it is silly that Aila was persistent in making me wear a mask even in the dead of night or even while I sleep. What else does she expect me to do for the sake of our “reputation”?_ The man gave out a long sigh and slid off his mask.

_A face like mine… deserves punishment._

A strong gale forced Dalton onto the very edge of the railing. Dalton clutched the cold railings with one hand as he held onto his mask with the other. The wind persisted as Dalton shivered at chill of the wind.

“Don’t you dare do this,” Dalton muttered at the wind, gritted his teeth as the mask quivered against the wind, “Don’t you dare do this to me now-!”

Dalton’s eyes widened for a moment and glanced at his mask as it continued to flap aimlessly in his hand. What was the use in clinging onto something so trivial? Dalton had asked this question over and over since his youth. If nobility was the root of his troubles, he would rather abandon everything than to endure it aimlessly. Dalton’s eyes darkened into a silent fury and looked at the mask one more time. Without any hesitation, Dalton released the mask in hand; the mask tumbled down and was blown away by the wind. His eyes followed the object, and in his sight, he spotted a figure from the sky falling down under the moonlit night.

 _Surely, you jest,_ Dalton wanted to say aloud. He took a small telescope and peeked through it. Much to his fears, he saw a figure of what looked like a woman falling from the sky above.

Dalton ran for the direction of the captain’s quarters. “S-Someone! Somebody help! There is a woman falling into the sea!

“Someone help!” Dalton continued to shout, “There is a woman falling into the sea! Someone! Anyone?!”

*****

Iles shrieked at the thought of falling into the ocean.

“This can’t be happening!” Iles said frantically, “This can’t be happening! How is this all possible?!”

 _I was supposed to be in Ryde!_ Iles screamed inside, _I was supposed to be inside a living room; how the hell did I end up falling into the ocean?!_

In the corner of her eye, Iles spotted a large shadow that loomed in the sky. Then, under the moonlight, the shadow revealed itself as a great vessel in a form of a ship with propeller wings. Iles’ heart stopped for a moment.

****

“There’s a girl out there!” Dalton pointed out to the direction of the sea. “You have to stop this ship!”

“That is impossible,” the captain insisted. “You know as well as I do that it will take us some time to get there in time!”

Dalton scratched and pulled his hair in frustration, “Is there no other way?!” Dalton pressed further.

“There is no other way!” the captain repeated, “There is no other way! Why can’t you understand that?!”

Dalton swallowed hard as his heart palpitated in his chest. There was no other way to save her from the fall. Even if she was to plunge into the water, there was no guarantee if she was able to swim. Dalton shook his head vigorously.

“DAMMIT!” Dalton swore as he left the captain’s quarters. _There won’t be enough time!_

Dalton hastened along the corridors of the aircraft, running past the curious onlookers who stood by their doors. He didn’t care whether they had seen his face or not. It seemed as though the safety of one stranger seemed more important than his own reputation.

Dalton reached the railings where he first spotted the woman. He huffed as he saw the woman already falling midway into the sea. _Where the hell did she come from?!_ Dalton thought in disbelief. _No, that’s not the point. She’s going in the water!_

A great wind billowed Dalton, as it made him shiver violently. Before he knew it, a great, majestic white bird that sparkled like starlight in the darkness flew past him, soaring into the direction of the girl.

****

 _Help me,_ Iles tried to scream, _Help me!_ No words came out of her mouth. All that was heard was a wordless shriek.

Almost immediately, a great bird swooped underneath her as if to cushion her fall. Ilse landed on its back as the enormous bird received the impact with a _squawk!_ Iles heard the sound of a crack in the bone as the immense pain surged in her body.

“Ugh!” Iles groaned as the pain intensified.

The great bird glided its way across the water, only for it to turn to the direction of the aircraft. Iles couldn’t careless of where this colossal bird was taking her. The only thing that occupied her mind was the injury that stung and pang throughout her body. As the bird rose to the aircraft, Iles fell unconscious without a second thought.

****

Dalton couldn’t believe his eyes. A great bird with shimmering feathers that rival to that of starlight soared past his view. Almost immediately, he had forgotten about the girl for one second.

“What is that over there?!” one of the crew men pointed at the bird.

Dalton had the idea as to what the bird was. What other explanation was there aside from the folklores he once remembered in his childhood? “The night-flier,” Dalton muttered as he gaped at the colossal bird.

“Oi!” one of the officers hollered, “We have to land this ship on the water! You need to go to your room to buckle up!”

“Huh?!” Dalton gave the officer a puzzled look.

“You heard what I said; _‘buckle up’_!” the officer repeated. “We are not too far after all from our destination.”

Dalton jerked at the officer’s words, and obeyed almost immediately, as he scuttled his way inside the aircraft. He then recalled the scream he heard from the woman who was about to plunge into the ocean. He couldn’t ignore it. Not when he had failed to prevent Rose’s death. He couldn’t accept his powerlessness despite his position in society’s eyes. Dalton turned his heels and ran out of the corridor and into the balcony.

The winds were strong, no doubt, as it threatened to billow him away. Dalton didn’t seem to care for it one bit; instead, he grabbed the railings with his two hands and forced his way forward.

“Why do I even bother doing this anyway?” Dalton reprimanded himself, “This is so far the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever done!”

Nonetheless, Dalton pursued it even further. Dalton closed his eyes for a brief moment; only to open them to see the giant bird fly towards his direction.

 _What?_ Dalton blinked once more. The bird was flying straight towards him. The man panicked and ducked his head as the bird managed to fly past him, only to have it smash its head on one of the beams that held the aircraft’s propellers.

Dalton gaped at it in horror as he saw it collapsed not far from where he was. Dalton ran towards the scene and jolted at the sight. Not only had he seen the bird lying there, but also a woman as well, whose ankle and leg were both twisted in an unnatural way.

Dalton approached the woman as he called out; “Are you okay?!”

 _Of course she isn’t,_ Dalton told himself, _after a fall like that, you’d expect broken bones. Don’t be so stupid, Dalton!_

The air pressure rose higher, Dalton felt as though his ears were about to burst. He looked at the woman that lay on the floor and hastened towards her. Holding onto the woman by the waist and the bird by its wing, Dalton clenched his fists onto the railings. He held onto the two as though his life depended on their safety. He felt the air thin down his lungs, causing him to hasten his breath.

 _No good,_ he thought as his vision blurred before him. _Not good at all._ Dizziness had begun to take over his mind, but nonetheless, he never failed to let go of the two in his arms nor loosening his grip in his hand.

A gust of wind tilted the ship, which added to Dalton’s fears. The tilt of the ship sent Dalton tumbling off the ship with the woman and the bird in his arms.

“You have got to be kidding me!” Dalton screamed as the gravity pulled him down. In that instant, the bird spread its wings under his arm, causing Dalton to let go instinctively. Before all three figures were to plunge into the water, the bird clawed Dalton and the woman by their waist and flew to the direction of the sky.

*****

Boötes jerked at the sound of a man’s cries. Instinctively, he spread out his wings and clawed the man and the woman by the waist. The great bird rose higher into the sky as he felt a throbbing pain by his forehead. The very thought of his own carelessness made him agitated as he sailed his way in the sky.

 _Now, what must I do,_ the bird asked himself as he looked at the two in his claws. Boötes blinked and saw the silhouette of a port ahead.

The bird flew towards the direction of the port as he endlessly thought of ways to drop the two humans in his claws. He looked at the two humans once more and saw the man in his claws wore a dumbfounded expression. _Can’t blame him,_ Boötes thought and gave out a soundless cry. Immediately, the man fell asleep in his claws.

The colossal bird reached the port and managed to put the two people down on the edge of the docks. Boötes then stood on the docks of the port and felt woozy.

“Dawn, huh,” Boötes muttered as he felt his feathers shrink. The bird collapsed unto the docks as his body morphed into a shape of a man.


	3. Chapter 3

_I have been here before._

_“Do you know how people see us, Dalton?”_

_No, I don’t._

_“They see us at the level of a divine being. Can you believe it?”_

_Of course, they do. They only fear us._

_“There are things that we cannot do; first, we cannot reveal ourselves to the public; all we could do is stand as nobles. Second, we cannot reveal our names nor should we know the names of those in the public; it establishes a relationship with others who are liable of endangering our society. Thirdly, we cannot reveal ourselves as nobles when we cross the border; because we are no longer under the eyes of our own people. Once we step out of our borders, we are no longer recognised as nobles in the eyes of a foreign land.”_

_The times have changed. Your primitive mindset had only caused more harm than good._

_“You have brought this upon yourself!”_

_Ridiculous, how much do you know about everything?_

“…Ridiculous,” Dalton muttered aloud.

The sound of the waves tickled his ears as he felt the hard wood pressed against his back. Rather, it seems as though his weight caused the wood to creak.

 _Wood?_ Dalton opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the radiant amber sky. Dalton couldn’t help but dolefully watch it as he recalled the fragments of his dream. Ever so slowly, all his memories from the previous night came back to him. The man jerked upright and realised;

“How did I get here?” He muttered in panic.

Dalton turned to his left. He found himself in a port with few boats at the docks; in a far off distance, he saw the ship he was on that night. _How?!_ Dalton couldn’t fathom the very thought of it.

The man stood up and turned his heel, only to realise two individuals lying on the docks; with one whom he had recognised straight away.

“Miss… Miss,” Dalton shook the woman by the shoulder vigorously. In panic, he tried testing her pulse on her neck and felt a little warmth on her skin. Dalton turned to the man beside her and did the same. The man’s temperature was cooler than the woman’s.

“Excuse me,” Dalton said and shook the man’s shoulder violently. “Ah, sir? Sir!”

The man stirred and began sputtering and coughing. “Sir?!” Dalton jolted as he helped the man sit up.

“… Drat… I really did it this time,” the man mumbled as he cleared his throat.

“S-Sir?!” Dalton stuttered, “Are you okay–!”

 _Why do I keep asking that question, idiot?_ Dalton gritted his teeth at the thought; _of course he’s anything but okay!_

 “I’m fine, thanks,” the man answered. “I’m just a little dazed a bit.”

Dalton gave out a sigh of relief and turned to the woman, who remained unconscious. The man in turn approached the woman and knelt beside her. He rested his hand on her forehead and closed his eyes.

“She’s broken her ankle,” the man sighed in clear concern. “She also dislocated her knee. I can’t believe that is even possible.”

“Broken her ankle?” Dalton asked, horrified at the news. “That is bad. That is really, really bad. If she won’t be treated soon, she’ll die!”

“What do you mean?” the man asked as he furrowed his brows.

“She will not survive long enough with a broken bone in her body,” Dalton said despairingly.

“A broken bone is not as fatal as you think–”

“IT IS FATAL!” Dalton persisted.

Almost immediately, Dalton tried to pick the woman up in his arms, only to have the man grab Dalton by the arm.

“Do not move her like that,” the man commanded, “You might make it worse than it already is.”

“Well, is there another way?!” Dalton snapped at the stranger.

“Let me take care of this,” the man insisted as he clawed at Dalton’s arm with his nails. “Please.”

Dalton gave out a frustrated sigh and stood up, his eyes fixed on the unconscious woman.

“There’s a way to deal with cases like these,” the stranger explained. “But since it seems that you know this woman, I have no choice.”

“What are you going to do?” Dalton asked dubiously.

The man pulled out a white feather from his pocket, and muttered in a strange tongue. He then rubbed the feather on his palm and fingers and lifted the woman’s skirt.

“What are you doing?!” Dalton chided, flustered at the sight of a woman’s ankles.

“I am only fixing the woman’s bones,” the man bluntly said and removed the woman’s shoe. “I cannot heal her unless I touch the skin directly. Clothes will only deplete its effectiveness.”

Dalton’s cheeks flushed into a bright pink colour. “I-is that s-so?” He stuttered.

“Don’t think that I like doing this either,” the man muttered, his cheeks reddened.

Dalton didn’t respond until he realised; “Wait a minute, you can heal people?!”

“…Wow, that’s slow of you,” the man in a cynical manner.

 _Excuse me?_ Dalton scoffed.

The man inhaled and exhaled deeply and touched the woman’s ankle. A loud _crack_ was heard from the woman’s bones; Dalton jerked at the sound. Next, the man folded the woman’s skirt higher, this time; he touched the woman’s knee with his two hands. The man forcedly reconnected the woman’s knee in place in a violent manner. (*note: do not try this at home.)

“Aren’t you… Aren’t you forcing it too much?” Dalton questioned the man’s methods hesitantly. “Couldn’t you be at least gentle about it?”

“There’s no other way,” the man answered solemnly. “At least she’s unconscious at the moment. If she were awake, she’d be shrieking.”

Dalton shivered at the thought. “I don’t want to imagine it.”

“It couldn’t be helped,” the man said, “it isn’t like I wanted to do it either.”

The man then massaged the woman’s ankle and replaced her shoe.

“Done already?” Dalton asked.

“All she needs now is a place to rest,” the man said. “The problem is how to get her to a place to stay.”

“Wait,” Dalton stopped the man, “I thought you said you healed her.”

“I did,” the man replied, “all I did was reconnecting her bones; but it isn’t strong enough for her to stand or walk properly. She would need at least three days.”

Dalton nodded at the man’s words reluctantly, despite being unable to fully grasp what the man was talking about.

“My name is Boötes,” the man stretched out his hand to Dalton.

Dalton stared at the man’s hand and stared at the man’s face. The man’s blonde hair was almost white as an elderly man’s despite his youthful appearance; his spectacles were thick-rimmed and were hooked onto his ears like a half-mask. Dalton looked at Boötes dubiously. Should he entrust his very name to a man he had just met, there was no doubt that he was risking his own safety.

“Are you sure it is alright for you to reveal your name to a stranger whom you had just met?” Dalton sighed.

“Why?” Boötes asked with a puzzled expression. “Isn’t it rude to not introduce myself?”

“Oh,” Dalton concluded, “You are not from this country, I take it?”

“…Well,” Boötes cleared his throat; “I suppose you can say that.”

“This is Sirodet,” Dalton said mercilessly, “The worst thing you could do is revealing your name to a... stranger.”

“So?” Boötes shrugged, “What’s the harm?”

“Well…” Dalton scratched his head. _What is wrong with this guy?_ “Names identify you; they can be used against you–”

“In other words, they are sacred,” Boötes interrupted. “Names are sacred in this country.”

“…Well, kind of,” Dalton said with a hint of uncertainty, “Actually; no. No, wait…”

“Either way,” Boötes reluctantly said, “I suppose I won’t reveal my name to anyone so easily then.”

“Um no, that is not the point,” Dalton scratched his head in a frustrated manner, “the point is that you are too trusting. You can’t just tell a stranger your name, you don’t know me well.”

“…okay then?” Boötes raised his brow. He then wore a wide grin on his face as he said; “Ah, here’s an idea: why not you become my chaperon until you go where you need to go. You don’t need to tell me your name, but you seemed knowledgeable about this place. I have no one to rely on at this point; I came here by accident, you see. Since there’s no guarantee I could even go back; I might as well find a way to survive this foreign soil. In other words, I need a guide.”

“Excuse me?” Dalton asked in a scoff.

“Could you show me the way, sir?” Boötes pleaded.

“A commoner like you would even bother asking me?” Dalton instinctively snapped.

 _Oh great,_ Dalton realized; _now I’ve done it._

Boötes widened his eyes. “Oh, that’s why,” he said, “Okay, then. I respect that. I’ll ask someone else.”

“No, wait,” Dalton stopped him. “That’s not what I mean.”

“Well, by the looks of you,” Boötes began, “you are a noble, judging by your stance and the way you addressed me just then confirmed my suspicions.”

Dalton swallowed hard.

Boötes continued; “You seemed to be hiding your position as a noble; that is why you reprimanded me when I introduced myself, knowing that you’d have to tell me your name in return.”

Dalton opened his mouth in his defence, only to close it as he realised there was no point trying to argue with the young man. “Is there anything else?” Dalton finally asked.

“No,” Boötes answered as knelt beside the woman, “I respect your reasons why you hesitated. It isn’t like you can really help that, right? But, if you won’t take responsibility for this woman, I will.”

Bootes grabbed the woman by the waist and lugged her over his shoulders as though were carrying a sack.


End file.
